In 2015, after I took the presidency of Liga Portugal, considered one of the major targets of the Board that accompanied me was to revive the League Cup. Now, nearly eight years later, it’s a nice pleasure to see an Allianz Cup established in our calendar, a model in our Football and a automobile for the growth of our Talent.
Today is the day to congratulate FC Porto, the new 2022/2023 Winter Champion, for successful the sixteenth version of the Allianz Cup, yesterday, towards Sporting CP, a staff that we should promote for its distinctive competitors marketing campaign, and that make clear the victory of FC Porto, the new Winter Champion. We can not fail to spotlight the great campaigns of FC Arouca and Académico de Viseu which, with all their deserves, reached an unprecedented presence in the Final Four. Seeing the followers cheering for each groups in the semi-finals was one thing to bear in mind.
Yesterday’s grand ultimate was the final of 63 conferences in a marathon that started in November. The 2022 World Cup places a menace on the horizon, the risk of getting groups with out competitors for six weeks, in the center of the season. The choice to reformulate the earlier format, of 37 video games, for the mannequin of this season, is a totally successful guess, a method that will be inconceivable to obtain with out the collaboration of 34 Sports Societies, who quickly responded to our problem. We be sure that the competitors, the public doesn’t lose reference to the Clubs and our associate will get extra visibility. We are the solely main European league that has not stopped utterly, and the reward acquired by the coaches exhibits us that our technique is appropriate.
Organizing a contest of this measurement wouldn’t be potential with out the assist and collaboration of many brokers. First of all, the Clubs, who’ve at all times expressed their want to consolidate the League Cup in our calendar and benefit from this aggressive area to showcase Talent. The change in the Final Four format makes it extra engaging for Clubs, operators and companions. With pleasure the League Cup, now, the Allianz Cup, and this connection exhibits how Football will be with sponsors. After the editions in Algarve and Braga, Leiria hosted the third version of the Final Four. The success of the Fan Zone and the varied actions for the Fans offered a special week in Leiria. I can not fail to publicly thank the Leiria City Council and the folks of Leiria for his or her enthusiasm. With pleasure we might be again in Leiria in 2023/2024 for an additional Final Four.
I can not, at this level, fail to emphasize the privileged discussion board that makes the Final Four potential. This week, as well as to the assembly of the League Board, the Social Dialogue Commission met, along with ANTF, APAF and the Union of Players united in the growth of Portuguese Football, and constituted a typical jury to award the Thinking Football Summit awards . We additionally organized the third version of the Associations Forum, which brings Professional and Amateur Football to the identical desk, with the dedication of two annual conferences and larger interconnection between the base of soccer and the prime of the pyramid.
Post-2024, with modifications in UEFA competitions, will convey new challenges to home leagues, with a compulsory discount in the variety of video games to lighten the load on groups, which aren’t we are going to lose our UEFA competitors. The final Presidents’ Summit validated the discount of the format of the Allianz Cup to the Final Four solely, a change that might be voted on and controlled from 2024/2025. Our Talent, right this moment, is wanted in different markets and the internationalization of the competitors is a chance that doesn’t come shortly. Wherever it’s performed, the Allianz Cup is now firmly established in our calendar. And it’s a pleasure to watch him develop. Congratulations to FC Porto, the new Winter Champion!
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